BEACON MUSIC FACTORY’S SLEEPAWAY SONG CAMP
SEPTEMBER 17-20 2026
For Adults

Join us at the 1st Annual BMF Sleepaway Song Camp for 3 days/nights of music, nature and community in Hillsdale, NY from Thursday, September 17th to Sunday, September 20th, 2026.

BMF Sleepaway Song Camp is all about the songs, and you, the songwriters. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to up your game, this camp will be a great up-close opportunity to learn directly from career songwriters who are engaged with the craft every day. There’ll be hands-on workshops, intimate performances, mentorship, open mics and more.

What makes us write songs, and how do we go about it? There will never be a single answer (but there might be magic involved). Because there are so many ways to think about songwriting, we are thrilled to say we have 3 seasoned songwriting instructors, each with wildly different styles and approaches. Stephen Clair, Natalia Zukerman and Erin McKeown collectively bring mountains of songs and stories from their lives making songs. And they each have big plans for our campers.

So get ready for some deep conversations about song-making; you will fill your head with new tricks, and you’ll be employing everything you learn at every turn. There will be workshops and surprising challenges and fun exercises each day. You will connect with peers; and we’re pretty certain you will take your songwriting game somewhere new—and even wild.

3 Ways to Attend

A) Stay all three nights
B) Commute and pay per day*
C) Non-songwriting guest**

Location

We will be taking over a Mid Century Motor Lodge on a sprawling property in Hillsdale NY, not all that far from Great Barrington MA. The property is sprawling, complete with a swimming pool, plenty of seating areas with fire pits, and other nooks where we can gather in small and large groups.

Take The Stage

Evenings are for performances. Campers will have plenty of opportunities to play their songs for all in attendance. On Friday night our teacher/instructors will perform an intimate concert. setting of these mini concerts will allow campers opportunities to peer into song process and the ways different artists put their songs across. If talking about songs is what lights you up, this is what we live for.

What’s Included
Your lodging, workshops, performances, and three meals a day. Lucky for us, Stephen’s wife and longtime NYC cooking teacher, Jennifer Clair, will be creating all of our meals!

* Commuters Welcome

There is a Day Rate for local participants who want to commute and join us for the day on Friday and/or Saturday.

** Bring a Guest

Because each Motel room has one bed, registrants are welcome to bring a spectator/spouse/significant other at a reduced rate. We welcome your tagalong roomies. While they won’t participate in workshops and specific song stuff, they are more than welcome to hang out on the property, use the pool, check out Hillsdale, and join us for meals, and attend evening performances.

On behalf of Natalia and Erin and myself, we are super excited to kick this off with you in September.

Stephen Clair
Beacon Music Factory

Pricing

The Songwriter. Includes lodging, 3 meals a day, and the full camp experience. All 3 nights.
$1500

The Commuter. Includes one day (Friday or Saturday), 3 meals, and that day’s full camp experience.
$600/day or $1,000 for both Fri and Sat.

The Guest. (Must Accompany The Songwriter)  Includes lodging with a songwriter, 3 meals a day, and attendance at evening performances. All 3 nights.
$1,000